Ptolemy

It was a very big part of scholarly activity when it existed. It was destroyed though during Caesar’s military in 48-47BCcausing the loss of many pieces of work (p. 42). Theon wrote a commentary on the Handy Tables by Ptolemy and is perhaps proved most useful to successive generations of Byzantines says Wilson (p. 42). “The purpose of the Tables was to permit elementary astronomical calculations, such as the time difference between various towns” (p. 41). As Wilson says…

As Isaac Asimov once put it, “The physical world is a wonderful world, but it is also confusing.”(1) In the ancient times, civilizations turned to myths and/or created religions to explain natural phenomena. In other words, humans have tried, and are still trying to figure out, the universe. This inquisition started in ancient civilizations and leads up to the presents day. Facts are sorted out from fiction in this era but, in previous ones, theories arose and were spread throughout the country…

During the 15th century, Europe had long left behind the dark middle ages and embarked into a new era of scientific thought and ideas. The rise of universities along with technological advancements, such as the printing press, gave way to the Scientific Revolution. In which scholars would investigate better explanations and drive for precise observations about the universe. Amidst all the major breakthroughs during the Scientific Revolution, one theory in particular would redefine the way…

As humans we are placed at the very center of the world with the unique ability to shape our own destiny and exercise our free will in the pursuit of virtue. This very humanistic ideal was championed by the 15th century philosopher Pico della Mirandola, in his book “Oration on the Dignity of Man” (1486). The very notion that we could have such power similar to a Creator or a Divine entity was—at the time— considered heresy by the Papacy. But why did they consider it heretical? The answer is…

Fayum Portraits: Greco-Roman Egyptian Mummies? The Fayum mummy portraits emerged from a time of great change in Ancient Egypt—a time of decline in the ancient Egyptian religious traditions. Alongside this decline, there was also a rise in Greco-Roman influences on the aesthetic values of Egyptian art—through the first century BCE to the first centuries CE—particularly those that were used in religious rituals, such as temples, wall paintings, and the actual adornment of the mummies themselves.…

How Did the Renaissance Change Man’s View of the World? The time period from the 1350s to about 1700 otherwise known as the Renaissance was the rebirth and awakening for new ideas and inventions. With the different advances that were made, people became more educated and ignorance about the world and nature was no longer the norm for the average person. A majority of the population was no longer illiterate people became curious and started to ask question, unlike during the Middle Ages. Now…

minds of the common people should become confused, obstinate, and contemptuous in yielding assent to the principal articles that are absolutely matters of faith” (41).If the word of God was altered to cater to the vulgar needs of the populace, then, Galileo argues, it should not be used to determine science and the movement of the heavens. To add strength to this argument, Galileo uses the words of two saints (St. Jerome and St. Agustine). According to St. Jerome, the times in which the Bible…

"Gaius Julius Caesar." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004, "Caesar, Julius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2015, "Caesar, Julius." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2003, "Caesar, (Gaius) Julius." World Encyclopedia. 2005, Elizabeth Knowles, John Cannon, MICHAEL KENNEDY;JOYCE BOURNE, "Julius Caesar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2015, and "Julius Caesar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. "Gaius Julius Caesar." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2004. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. .…

The Egg-Drop Device Process The process of dropping an egg is more complex than a normal person would believe. The egg-dropping process requires knowledge of history, engineering, and mathematics and physics. To fully understand how an egg drops, the knowledge of the history of physics, the engineering behind a device, and the mathematics and physics of free-fall is needed. Physics originates in its classical form in Ancient Greece. Thales was the first physicist. The theories Thales made gave…

Diodorus Siculus wrote "Whoever kills a cat in Egypt is condemned to death, whether he committed this crime deliberately or not. The people gather and kill him. An unfortunate Roman, who accidentally killed a cat, could not be saved, either by King Ptolemy of Egypt or by the fear which Rome inspired." However, some feline mummies recovered from Bubastis display severe trauma to the head or neck, indicating that they had been intentionally killed. This of course contrasts with the law regarding…